8 minute read
7 Wonders You Can Do in a Day
These awe-inspiring sites — each easily accessible from a cruise port — showcase nature at its most dramatic.
By Brett Walther
1- Preikestolen
Stavanger, Norway
It’s one thing to experience the majesty of a Norwegian fjord from the deck of a cruise ship — and another thing entirely to gaze down at it from almost 2,000 feet in the air. That’s the vantage point provided by Preikestolen, also known as Pulpit Rock, a natural viewing platform carved into the Lysefjord clifftop by glaciers 10,000 years ago. If the vertiginous drop isn’t enough to get your pulse pounding, the panoramic views of southwestern Norway’s rugged landscape certainly will.
More Spectacular Summits
Sugarloaf Mountain
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
If you didn’t take the cable cars to Sugarloaf’s summit, have you even been to Rio? The legendary landmark offers the best views of the city’s stunning harbor.
The Pitons
Castries, Saint Lucia
The twin peaks of Saint Lucia’s southwest coast are actually dormant volcanic spires, with the larger of the two, Gros Piton, a popular climb along wellmarked trails.
CLIFFS OF MOHER
Galway, Ireland
The idyllic rolling fields of the Emerald Isle come to an abrupt end at this five-mile-long stretch of shoreline, which plunges more than 700 feet into the crashing waves of the Atlantic.
2- Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Auckland, New Zealand
It could pass as the night sky — if you weren’t 150 feet underground. The tiny pinpricks of light on the walls and ceiling of these limestone caves are Arachnocampa luminosa, glowworms that are unique to New Zealand. First discovered by the local Māori in the 18th century, the “glowworm grotto” now counts descendants of those original explorers among its guides. Although their boat tours are the most conventional way to navigate this enchanted realm, adrenaline junkies can opt instead for an inner tube — an experience guides cheekily refer to as “black water rafting.”
More Great Reasons to Go Underground
RÍO SECRETO
Cozumel, Mexico
In a region already famed for its cenotes — freshwater pools formed in limestone sinkholes — these stalactite-rich river caves just outside Playa del Carmen are a standout.
ŠKOCJAN CAVES
Koper, Slovenia
Beneath the vineyards of Slovenia’s Karst region lies a labyrinth of limestone caves, including, at Škocjan, one of the world’s largest underground canyons. Crossing the bridge over the 150-foot-deep chasm is worth the ticket price alone.
CRYSTAL CAVES
Bermuda
Spectacular lighting brings out the best of this cave system, renowned for the remarkable clarity of its water: Stalagmites more than 50 feet below the surface appear close enough to touch.
3- Cascate del Mulino
Civitavecchia, Italy
Next time you find Civitavecchia on your cruise itinerary, skip the standard day trip to Rome and travel the same distance to the dazzling spa town of Saturnia, where the healing properties of thermal springs have been tapped since the Bronze Age. Set against the bucolic backdrop of a Tuscan mill, the Cascate del Mulino flows: a gently steaming, silky-blue waterfall cascading over a series of limestone steps, and collecting in natural pools. At temperatures around 100°F (37.5°C), a soak in these sulfur-rich waters is the perfect tonic for the weary traveler — and admission is free.
More Hot Springs Worth Coming Ashore For
SEVEN HELLS
Beppu, Japan
Onsens have harnessed Beppu’s abundant hot springs for centuries, but you’ll need to keep your distance to admire them in their natural state: The so-called “Seven Hells” reach temperatures up to boiling point.
PALEA KAMENI
Santorini, Greece
It’s easy to forget that Santorini sits on the rim of an active volcano — until you dive into the hot-spring-fed waters off this island at the heart of the caldera.
UUNARTOQ HOT SPRINGS
Qaqortoq, Greenland
Located beside a fjord filled with icebergs, what these remote thermal pools might lack in amenities, they more than make up for in scenery.
4- Plitviče Waterfalls
Zadar, Croatia
The Dalmatian Coast tends to steal the spotlight on Croatian cruise itineraries, but a shore excursion inland reveals a landscape that’s lifted straight from a fantasy flick. Plitviče Lakes National Park is home to more than a dozen lakes at various levels, each one spilling into the next in a seemingly endless series of cascades. Between the spectacle of the waterfalls, the emerald lakes and lush forest surroundings, it’s a slice of paradise that’s made even more impressive by its accessibility, with well-maintained boardwalks skirting the falls so closely, you’re sure to feel their spray. If you’re chasing waterfalls from the port of Split down the coast, you’re also in luck: The Krka waterfalls boast scenery that’s just as inspiring, albeit on a slightly smaller scale.
More Must-see Waterfalls
‘AKAKA FALLS
Hilo, Hawai’i
For a short hike that delivers a huge payoff, venture to ‘Akaka Falls State Park, where you’ll encounter two waterfalls — the Kahuna (pretty) and the ‘Akaka (pretty mind-blowing) — on a half-mile loop.
GARAANNGADDIM WATERFALLS
Kimberley, Australia
No spine-tingling heights here: Instead, the mystifying “horizontal” waterfalls off the coast of western Australia are generated by strong ocean currents forcing their way through narrow gorges.
GULLFOSS WATERFALL
Reykjavik, Iceland
Crashing into the canyon below at more than 26,000 gallons per second, the big-ticket item on Iceland’s Golden Circle route is every bit as thrilling as its reputation suggests.
5- Murchison River Gorge
Geraldton, Australia
Western Australia’s sprawling Kalbarri National Park can claim a number of natural wonders linked to, and often created by, the meandering Murchison River. Over millions of years, it’s cut a 50-mile-long gorge into the sand plain that proves an irresistible shore excursion, rewarding visitors with glimpses of fossils and fascinating rock formations. The most impressive of these is Nature’s Window, an opening in the sandstone that frames a postcard-perfect view of the river. In this case, however, the river itself can’t take the credit: This geological oddity owes its creation to the erosive effects of the wind.
More Gorges to Explore
TITOU GORGE
Roseau, Dominica
Imagine a waterpark’s lazy river, but with the incredible scenery of a Caribbean rainforest — and a rush of adrenaline as you navigate the gorge’s twisting route.
ALCANTARA GORGES
Catania, Sicily
Walk the riverbed that winds through these narrow canyons and be transported to another world: Volcanic activity from nearby Mount Etna has left the gorge walls lined with lava monoliths, smoothed into surreal shapes by the river’s fast-flowing current.
WAIMEA CANYON
Nawiliwili Kaua’i, Hawai’i
When the volcano that formed the island of Kaua’i collapsed several million years ago, it created a 3,600-foot-deep gorge that’s often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.
6-Mendenhall Glacier
Juneau, Alaska
As wondrous as this 13-mile-long river of ice may be, its easy accessibility is as much of a marvel. Mendenhall Glacier is just a half-hour bus ride from the port in downtown Juneau, and an abundance of outfitters offer endless opportunities to customize your excursion. A popular option is to kayak across Mendenhall Lake to the glacier’s face, weaving your way around small icebergs that have recently calved. Coming ashore, you can trade your paddles for crampons and scale the glacier itself, its crevasses giving hints of the eerie ice caves that occasionally form deep below.
More Glaciers That’ll Give You Goosebumps
VATNAJÖKULL GLACIER
Djúpivogur, Iceland
A Zodiac excursion through the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon, choked with Vatnajökull’s calved icebergs, brings a sense of scale to Europe’s largest glacier, which covers eight percent of Iceland’s surface.
GARIBALDI GLACIER
The Chilean Fjords
Although this brilliant blue glacier is currently retreating, evidence of its staggering power is all around: Over the centuries, it’s carved out the entire Garibaldi fjord.
SERMEQ KUJALLEQ GLACIER
Ilulissat, Greenland
The Ilulissat Icefjord is where the world’s fastest-moving glacier meets the sea, but it’s the age of Sermeq Kujalleq’s ice — some of it dating back a quarter of a million years — that provides vital clues for researchers studying the effects of climate change.
7 - El Yunque National Forest
San Juan, Puerto Rico
A mere 45-minute drive from San Juan, El Yunque — the only tropical rainforest in the United States — feels worlds apart. Here, the soundtrack of the bustling city gives way to the chirp of tiny tree frogs (coquis) and the squawk of the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. Although you’ll have no trouble hearing the wildlife, it’s much trickier spotting it in the canopy of towering trees and the dense ferns that crowd the forest floor. A comprehensive trail system invites you to try, rolling out the welcome mat for exploration — and raising the bar for forest bathing.
More Unforgettable Rainforest Excursions
YAKUSHIMA
Kagoshima, Japan
When it comes to old-growth trees, this forest in Japan’s Ōsumi Islands is positively primeval. Some researchers believe its famous Japanese cedar, Jōmon Sugi, to be up to 7,000 years old.
VERAGUA RAINFOREST
Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
There’s a daunting 3,400 acres of rainforest to discover at this mountain reserve, but you’ll cover plenty of ground in an open-air gondola, as well as a zip-line course through the canopy.
GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST
Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Of all the wildlife that calls this Pacific coast rainforest home — including grizzly bears, coastal gray wolves and cougars — it’s the elusive white-coated “spirit bear” (Kermode) that tops visitors’ wish lists.
